The Princess and the Serpent King: Chinese story

Once upon a time, in a distant kingdom, there lived a beautiful princess who loved to explore the forests around the palace. One day, while wandering deep in the woods, she was captured by a terrifying Serpent King, a creature with the body of a snake and the head of a man. The Serpent King took the princess to his hidden lair deep within a mountain, where no one could find her.

The king, distraught over his daughter’s disappearance, announced that whoever could rescue the princess would have her hand in marriage. Many brave knights set out on the quest, but none returned.

In a nearby village, a humble woodcutter heard the king’s proclamation. He decided to try his luck and set out to find the princess. After days of searching, he came across an old hermit who knew the mountain well. The hermit told the woodcutter that the Serpent King’s lair could only be reached by crossing a bridge of mist, which appeared only at dawn.

The woodcutter waited until dawn, and when the misty bridge appeared, he crossed it and found the hidden entrance to the lair. Inside, he saw the princess, who was guarded by the Serpent King. The princess secretly handed the woodcutter a small dagger, which the Serpent King had kept as a trophy from a fallen warrior. It was said that this dagger was the only weapon that could harm the Serpent King.

The woodcutter hid until the Serpent King fell asleep. Then, with a single strike, he plunged the dagger into the Serpent King’s heart. The creature let out a terrifying roar before collapsing to the ground, lifeless.

The princess thanked the woodcutter and urged him to escape with her. But the woodcutter insisted that she be the first to leave. They found a rope ladder, and the princess climbed up to safety. Before the woodcutter could follow, a sudden landslide sealed the entrance, trapping him inside the mountain.

Desperate to find another way out, the woodcutter explored the lair and found a chamber filled with gold, jewels, and strange artifacts. Among them was a mysterious stone tablet with ancient inscriptions. As he touched the tablet, it began to glow, and a magical portal opened before him.

Stepping through the portal, the woodcutter found himself in the middle of a vast desert. In the distance, he saw a small oasis where a majestic lion stood guard. The lion, seeing the woodcutter’s humble heart, offered him a single wish as a reward for his bravery.

The woodcutter wished to return to the princess and live a peaceful life. The lion roared, and suddenly, the woodcutter found himself back in the kingdom, right in front of the palace gates.

Meanwhile, the king had arranged a grand wedding for the princess and the knight who had claimed to rescue her. But the princess, sensing something was wrong, demanded proof. The false knight could not provide any, and just as the king was about to give in, the woodcutter arrived. He presented the dagger and the ancient stone tablet as proof of his journey.

The princess, overjoyed, declared the woodcutter as her true savior. The king, impressed by his courage and honesty, allowed them to marry. The false knight was sent away in disgrace, and the woodcutter and the princess lived happily ever after, ruling the kingdom with wisdom and kindness.